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Fantastic day for France in Subotica

January 15, 2015

The third day of the Nations Women’s Cup brought many great battles in Subotica, where China’s National Champion Si Haijuan, Kazakhstan’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Yulduz Mamatkulova, France’s teenager Wassila Lkhadiri and England’s 17-year-old Ebonie Jones all performed exceptionally.

Bout of the day
2014 Asian Games representative, China’s Si Haijuan is an exciting Flyweight class (51 kg) talent, and had to meet with Russia’s Stefani Sultanova who eliminated Kazakhstan’s gold medal favourite Dina Zholaman in the first preliminary round.

This was their first ever meeting in the ring, and it showed as they were both at their technical best in a contest which uniquely displayed the science of the sport.

The key difference was the footwork of Si Haijuan, which enabled her to pick up the overall victory.

Team of the day
France’s Wassila Lkhadiri joined the elite level in 2014 and she claimed a valuable bronze medal at the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships in Bucharest, Romania before her 19th birthday.

The talented Flyweight class (51 kg) boxer controlled her bout against Bulgaria’s AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Venelina Poptoleva and won all the rounds 10:9.

France’s second elite triumph was achieved by Delphine Mancini who has been a member of the national team since 2005, with the veteran Bantamweight (54 kg) boxer at a different level than her first rival in Subotica, Greece’s Aikaterini Koutsougeorgopoulou and she advanced to the semi-finals following her triumph by unanimous decision.

Surprise of the day
Croatia’s Jovana Vucic has been fighting at the international level since 2010, but she was not the favourite against Kazakhstan’s Gaukhar Yermekbay who won the gold medal at the AIBA Women’s Youth World Championships in Albena in 2013.

Vucic caused the biggest surprise of the day beating her Central Asian Welterweight class (69 kg) rival in Subotica.

Ones to watch
England’s Stacey Copeland won a silver medal at the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships in Bucharest last June, and the Welterweight class (69 kg) veteran boxer did not give any chances to Serbia’s EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships competitor Aleksandra Stojanovic, where following her strong punches the Kazakh referee stopped their unequal contest.

Her youth teammate, EUBC European Women’s Junior Continental Champion Ebonie Jones won a great fight against Greece’s Plea Foteini, while Kazakhstan’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Yulduz Mamatkulova also had a strong result on Day 3 by eliminating Ukraine’s Kateryna Lanko at the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg).

Stat/Fact of the day
The tiny Caribbean island of Dominica sent only one boxer, the Commonwealth Games quarter-finalist UK-based Valerian Spicer to the Nations Women’s Cup which is their first ever appearance in the history of the event.

In spite of her low number of international bouts she has defeated already two opponents in Subotica and advances to the semi-finals.

Tomorrow’s program
The semi-finals will be held on the fourth competition day in the Nations Women’s Cup where Russia’s London 2012 Olympics silver medallist Nadezhda Torlopova will open her competition in Serbia, with the Middleweight class (75 kg) boxer returning to the sport after a long break, and many boxing experts are curious to see her current form.